Globus Medical Introduces GATEWAY™ Thoracolumbar System

February 21, 2007 – AUDUBON, PA, USA Globus Medical, Inc., the largest privately-held spinal implant manufacturer in the world, has announced the launch of the GATEWAY™ Thoracolumbar System. The system is intended for the treatment of thoracolumbar (T1-L5) spine instability as a result of fracture, tumor, degenerative disc disease, scoliosis, kyphosis, lordosis, spinal stenosis, or failed previous spine surgery.

GATEWAY™ utilizes the user-friendly screws and revolutionary non-threaded locking cap in Globus Medical’s REVERE™ Stabilization System, and works in partnership with the company’s XPand®-R device, the only expandable corpectomy spacer on the market made from radiolucent polymer (PEEK).

“While other products in the marketplace developed for this application utilize either a plating system or a rod system, GATEWAY™ offers a unique, integrated solution that provides the benefits of both, and the disadvantages of neither,” said Larry Binder, Group Engineering Manager, Globus Medical. “Our design team has combined the best features of the two systems to create the most simple and flexible device possible.”

Among its numerous qualities, GATEWAY™ ensures total access to all of the anatomic structures involved in treatment before, during and after insertion. The device is secured with top-loading screws on the posterior side of the construct. Before the screws are inserted on the anterior side, the plate can be opened or closed for continued access to the corpectomy site as needed. The construct’s low profile prevents irritation of tissues and vessels surrounding the area of fixation.

“GATEWAY™ provides the benefits of a rigid plating system and the flexibility of single rod application,” stated Alexander R. Vaccaro, MD, Professor of Neurosurgery and Orthopaedic Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pa., and Co-director, Reconstructive Spine Service at Jefferson’s Rothman Institute. “Visibility of the graft host bone junction is greatly enhanced, and the surgeon is no longer burdened with the technical demands of plate sizing often encountered in anterior thoracolumbar reconstruction.”